Coin separator and counter.



C. C. VOGLESON Gf COIN SEPARATOR AND COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-6. I913.

1,210,732. Patented Jan. 2,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- [1 m v k WITNESSES.- y fi l 2&

WW1? BY 2% M f x flMaM/ ATTORNEYS.

C. G. VOGLESONG'.

com SEPARATOR AND COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED ROY 6. 1913.

Patented Jan. 2,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- INVENTOR Cic. Mama-"5on Mu fi ATTORNEYS UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE C. VOGLESONG, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO AKERICAN COINREGISTER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

COIN SEPAIBIATOR AND COUNTER.

Specification 0! Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application filed November 6, 1913. Serial No. 795,508.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLYDE C. VooLnsoNo, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Oakland, county of Alameda, and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin Separators andCounters, of which the following is a specification. v

The invention relates to machines for receiving segregating and countingcoins of various sizes and is particularly adapted for use in connectionwith street cars and in other instances and locations where the coinsaredeposited by the passengers or patrons.

The object of the invention is to provide a fare box or coin collectingand separating machine having'the capacity of segregating several sizesof coins quickly and accurately.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin separator of suchconstruction that worn and mutilated "coins willprogress therethroughwith the same speed and accuracy as new and properly sized coins.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the count ofthe various coins of diiferent sizes is registered before the coins aredischarged into receptacles from which they may be readily removed.

A further object of the invention is to vprovide a fare box which cannotbe dishonestly manipulated or tampered with and which produces andpreserves the proper record of the coins deposited.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, which, with theforegoing, will be set forth at length in the following description,where I shall. outline in full that form of the invention which I haveselected for illustration in the drawings accompanying'and forming partof the present. specification. The novelty of the invention will beincluded in the claims succeeding said description. From this it will beapparent that I do not limit myself to the showing made by said drawingsand description as I may adopt many variations within the scope of myinvention asset forth in said claims.

Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section through themachine. 2 is a cross section on a smaller scale taken on the line 2-'2Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail of the. means for preventing the moving partsfrom being rotated in the wrong direction, taken on the line 33 Fig. 4:-Fig. 4, is a rear elevation of the mechanism with the outer casingremoved. Fig. 5 is a section of the coin separating means taken on theline 5--5 Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a top or plan of the machine. Fig. 7 is adetail showing the counting means in side elevation taken on the line 77Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the operation of the countingmeans. Fig. 9 is a side view of a portion of the mechanism showing themeans for locking the mechanism when the coin receiving drawer iswithdrawn. Fig. 10 is a detail of a safety clutch which is interposedbetween the drive handle and the mecha nism;

The coins generally used for the payment of car fare are the ten centpiece or dime, the five cent piece or nickel, and occasionally centpieces. The cent pieces are rarely used, butare legal tender and must beaccepted when tendered. These coins differ both in diameter andthickness, the nickel being the larger in both dimensions, the

dime being the smallest in both dimensions, and the cent occurringintermediate these two. Since these coins are the ones used, I willdescribe the invention in connection that the invention is not limitedto use in connection" with any particular coins or with any particularnames of coins.

The coins are deposited in a hopper 2 having a constricted outlet 3 fromwhence thev fall onto the centrally pivoted table i which forms thebottom of a receiving chamber, which is provided with glass walls 5 toallow the coins to be observed before they are discharged into thesegregating mechanism. The outlet 3 is of such diameter that only coinscapable of being acted on by the mechanism may pass therethrough.Arranged below the outlet 3 is a wedge or cone-shaped plate 6 whichprevents the removal of the coins in the receiving chamber through theoutlet 3. The table l is normally held in a level position by the spring7 and is tilted by means of a lever 8 arranged on the outside of themachine. After the coins have been observed and found tobe proper by theconductor or person in charge, the lever 8 is operated to discharge thecoins into the segregating mechanism.

The segregating and counting mechanism is arranged on a suitable frame9, which. is

neioyea supported and partly inclosed by the housing- 12, preferablymade of sheet metal, the mechanism being entirely contained within thehousing so that it is not accessible; 'lhe rame 9 and housing 12 arelocked together by means of a pin 13 which is sealed in place, so thatits removal may bereadily detected. Arranged below the tiltingtable 4 isan inclined cylindrical cup or chamber composed of the side wall 14 andthe bot tom plate 19, the'side wall and bottom plate being securedtogether. Arranged below and contacting with the bottom plate 19 is astat'ion'ary plate 15 which is provided with a plurality of circularapertures 1617-18 spaced apart circumferentially and arranged adjacentthe periphery of the plate adjacent its upper portion, the centers ofthe apertures occurring on a circle. 1n the present machine the aperture16 is made of a diameter slightly larger than a dime but smaller than acent, aperture "17 has a diameter slightly larger than cent, but smallerthan a nickel, and aperture 18 has a diameterslightly larger than anickel.

The segregating plate 19 which forms the bottom of the inclined cup andWhich is secured to the side wall thereof is mounted on theinclinedshaft 21, so that it may be rotated over the stationary plate 15. Thesegregating plate 19 is provided with a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced circular apertures 22 of a diameter slightly larger than thelargest coin to lie-handled and the centers of the apertures arearranged on the same circle as the centers of the apertures in thebottom plate 15.

The plate 19 is rotated in a clock-wisedirection as shown in Fig. 5, andthe coins thereon, lodging in the "apertures 22, are carriedsuccessively over the apertures 1617-18, the coins dropping through theapertures corresponding in size thereto; the dimes falling throughaperture 16, the cents through aperture 17 and the nickels throughaperture 18. rlrrangedabove the plate 1&7 toward the upper portionthereof is a guard plate 23, which operates-to allow only one coin at atime to be carried to the respective segregating apertures-161718. Theplate 23' is provided with a beveled forward edge and is pressed againstthe revolving plate 19 by the spring 24. Should two coins Rbecome lodgedin one aperture 22, the plate '23'operates to remove the upper coinbefore the aperture comes into alinement with the first segregatingaperture 16. By mounting the plate on a yielding support, a mutilatedcoin lodged in the aperture is permitted to 50 be carried to thesegregating apertures, thereby avoiding the choking or blocking of themachine, but a superimposed coin is always removed. Arranged in the sidewall 14 of thercup are one or more'pins 25 pro- 5 jecting through thewall of the cup and beets 3435 and chain 86. In order to yond theinnersurface thereof. Each pin 25 is mounted-on a flat spring 25 securedto the wall of the cup and the inner end of the pin is rounded so thatshould a coin in.

velocity of the plate 19 be slow in order that the coins will not bemoved, over their respective apertures in the bottom 15 with such speedthat they have. notan opportunity of dropping therethrough. For thisreason, the handle 28 on the exterior of the machine is connected to theshaft 27 through a reducinggear. The handle is fixed'to the shaft 29 onwhich is rotatably mounted the small pinion 31 which meshes with thegear32 fixed on shaft 33, and the shaft 33 is connected to the shaft 27 bymeans of the sprockrevent a reverse rotation of the plate 19 and theconsequent improper segregation of coins, the shaft 27 is provided witha ratchet 37 which is engaged by a pawl 38. 4

1n order'to prevent the breaking of the mechanism, should it becomestopped or clogged for any reason, I arrange a spring held clutchbetween ,the handle and the pinion 31 which operates to disengage thehandle from the pinion when an excessive force is applied to the handle.Splined on shaft 29 is a clutch member 61 having inclined teeth whichare pressed against the clutch member 62 formed on or attached to thepinion 31 by a. spring 63, which second clutch member is also provided 1with inmechanism, an excess of pressure on the handle causes the teethon the clutch members to ride up on each other against the pressure ofthe spring, so that the handle may be revolved without subjecting theapparatus to any excessive forces.

Arranged below each of the apertures 161718 are the chutes 41-42-43,through which the coins are conducted. Since cent pieces are used onlyon rare occasions, the chute 42 arranged below the aperture 17 isarranged to conduct the cents directly to the pocket 44 in the drawer 45arranged at the bottom of the machine. The other coins are conducted tocounting mechanisms through which they pass before being deposited inthe drawer. are deposited in pocket 46 in the drawer and the nickels aredeposited in pocket-47. The drawer 45 may be readily drawn forward Thedimes or opened, so that the conductor or person i charge may haveaccess to the coins in pockets 46 and 47, which have previously beencounted. The coins in' pocket 44 have not been'counted and thereforeaccess thereto is not desirable. To allow for the limited movement ofthe drawer, a slot 48 is provided at the lower edge thereof, in whichengages the rod 49 which is sealed in place. In order to gain access topocket 44 the seal must be broken, thereby disclosing such fact.

Means are provided for locking the separating and counting mechanismagainst operation when the drawer is withdrawn or partly withdrawn.Arranged within the casing 12 below and adjacent the gear 32 is' bar 64provided with teeth 64 which, when the bar is in'the elevated position,engage with the teeth on gear 32 and hold it stationary. The bar 64 ispivoted at one end to the casing and is fastened at the opposite end tothe rod 65, to which is attached the'tension spring 66. On the lower endof the rod 65 is a pin 67 which is engaged bya curved or cam surface 68on the rear of the drawer, which cam surface causes the pin 67 andconsequentlythe bar 64, to

be depressed when the drawer is completely seated in the casing. Whenthe drawer is partly withdrawn, the pin is raised by thespring 66,moving the teeth 65 into mesh with the teeth on gear 32, thereby lockingthe mechanism.

Arranged below each chute 4T and 43 and adapted to receive the coinstherefrom are the coin wheels51 and 53 secured to the shaft 27. Thesewheels are.each provided with a plurality of coin receiving pockets 54,one side of each pocket being substantially radial, and the othersidebeing curved. Each wheel is provided with a central annular groove '55cutting through the pockets, in which grooves are arranged the fixedguide fingers 56 and the counter lever 57.

The fin gently into the pockets so that they must be gers 56 operate toguide the coin counted, and a guard platefl69 attached to somerelatively stationary part of the mechanism and overlying the coinwheel, revents the jarring of the vehicle, upon w ich I the fare box iscarried for shaking the coin from the coin. wheel before it is counted.'A' coin 58, Fig.8,"in one of the pockets closes the annular 'groovek55and causes the lever 57 to be moved outward as the wheel is registersthenumber of coinsideposited in v the corresponding pocket in thedrawer.

record of the removable coins is, therefore, accurately kept and theconductor or person in charge has access to the coins so that they maybe used in making change for other patrons.

I claim:

1. Ina coin separator and counter, a chute adapted to receive coins ofone denomination, a wheel provided with radially disposed pocketsmounted on a horizontal axis elow said chute and adapted to receive thecoins edgewise therefrom, said wheel being provided with an annulargroove intersecting said pockets, and a guide attached to the chute andextending into said groove.

2. In a coin separator and counter, a chute said lever, and a guardplate overlying said wheel. I

k 3. In a coin separator and counter, mechanism'for segregating andcounting the various sized coins, a gear wheel for driving saidmechanism, a slidable drawer into which the coins are deposited, atoothed bar pivotally arranged adjacent said gear wheel and adapted 'tobe moved into mesh therewith, a spring tending to move said bar intomesh with said gear and means on said drawer. for moving said bar out ofmesh with said gear when the drawer is completely shut.

4. In a coin separator and counter, a chute adapted to receive coins ofone denomination and todischarge them edgewise there- .with a pocketadapted to receive coins edgewi'se from said chute and means forrotating said wheel, the leading wall of said pocket in the direction ofthe rotation of the wheel beingcurved outwardly and forwardly in saiddirection of rotation, so that a pocket of gradually increasing depth isbrought under the chute as the wheel rotates. I

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set v ylhand at San Francisco,California, this 30th dayof October 1913.

CLYDE c. voGLEsoNG. presence ot.-- i I v in w M. La CONTE. V

